Although the man who lived opposite Zhang Heng agreed to eat together, he was still very cautious and kept a certain distance from him. Zhang Heng did not force his friendship, though. At least the two had exchanged names and made a simple self-introduction, which was considered a significant improvement.
His name was Fabericotte, and he was only seventeen years old. According to him, he was traveling around New England to explore its natural scenery, historical sites, and a deeper understanding of his family genealogy. Initially, he planned to take the train directly from Newburyport to Arkham, but the conductor in Newburyport had provided him with a more economical travel plan. He was supposed to get on the bus and transit here, not expecting the night bus to Arkham would be canceled. So he could only stay here tonight.
As they chatted, Zhang Heng also learned that Fabericotte had arrived much earlier than him. He had departed Newburyport at 10 in the morning, meaning he had spent at least half a day here. He should have collected a lot of information about this place by now. Maybe that could explain his heightened wariness and apprehension.
Something must have had probably traumatized him, seeing as to how he immediately closed his mouth and stopped talking the moment Zhang Heng inquired about the matter. The two had just met, though, and Zhang Heng realized that perhaps sufficient trust hadn’t yet been established between them.
Although the town was drowning in gloominess and oddities, Zhang Heng did not feel too much repression or fear. On the contrary, Fabericotte beside him seemed exponentially disgusted and disturbed by this small town. In his own words, he did not want to stay here a second longer, wishing that he had a pair of wings to fly away as far as he could from this place.
After a while, the two walked out of the hostel.
Although the nearby buildings still looked dirty, these were in better condition than the town’s dilapidated structures. There were grocery stores, pharmacies, wholesale fish markets, refineries, and restaurants. A river even ran in the middle of all these buildings. Perhaps it was time for the residents to get off from their work, or perhaps they were preparing for the celebration that most of the shops were closed. Fortunately for the two weary travelers, the restaurant was still open.
Two people were already inside the restaurant, a man and a woman. Among them, the man had a thin face, hunched back, and his eyes looked very dull. Zhang Heng stared at him for a while and found that he had not blinked for a long time. If one encountered him as an SCP-173, there was nothing the person could do but cry in the corner.
On the other side, the flat-nosed woman, wearing a rustic dress, was bending over and wiping the table. Although she was about to experience a wardrobe malfunction, no man would look at her when they saw her face.
Zhang Heng also noticed that Fabericotte, beside him, had become uneasy again. Although neither of them had apparent deformities, they both looked somewhat similar to the old man that Zhang Heng met earlier. According to the old man’s previous statement, their faces would start to deform as they grew older.
If Fabericotte had a choice, he would never want to walk into this restaurant. Eventually, though, hunger overcame his fear. He tried not to look at the two other people in the restaurant and focused on the menu at the counter. After discovering they mainly served canned food and ham, he was not disappointed but relieved.
He did not trust the people in this town very much. Hence, he was quite skeptical about the food they served. A portion of canned food with biscuits and a bowl of vegetable soup were more than enough.
After that, he made way for Zhang Heng and asked, “What are you eating?”
The latter replied, “I have no money with me, and I am not very hungry. I will just watch you eat.”
“…”
Farbericotte stood there for a moment and blinked. “Forget it, let me buy you your meal,” he relented.
Zhang Heng then said to the dull-eyed man, “I’ll have one more of what he ordered.”
After Farbericotte paid for the food, the woman with a flat nose headed into the kitchen.
Zhang Heng and Fabericotte found a place away from the counter and sat down.
Fabericotte could not help but ask, “You knocked on my door and asked me out for a meal, yet you don’t have any money?”
Zhang Heng nodded at Fabericotte. After that, he started to check out the restaurant. Decorations had been hung for the celebration later.
Fabericotte frowned, growling in a melancholic tone, “…Do you take me for a fool?”
“I told you that I’m not hungry. You should have just eaten without me,” Zhang Heng turned to him, continuing, “You are the one who insisted on buying me a meal.”
“I… I was just being polite.”
“It’s still not too late to tell the chef to cancel my order.”
“This is too embarrassing… Wait, did you just say that because you know I won’t do it?”
“If you feel embarrassed, I can do it myself,” said Zhang Heng while standing up.
“Are you bluffing?”
Zhang Heng did not answer him. He just smiled, turned, and walked towards the kitchen.
When he was about to walk to the door, Fabericotte spoke again, “Okay, you can stop there. The meal doesn’t cost much anyway.”
Despite Fabericotte’s persuasion, Zhang Heng kept on walking.
At this time, Fabricotte felt terrible. After all, he was taught since childhood to help those who were in difficulty. As long as it was within his capability, he should not say no to the person who needed his help. Just like what he said, this meal did not cost much anyway. Even for a young man who traveled with very little cash on him, the least he could do was to buy Zhang Heng the meal. So he got up from his seat and rushed into the kitchen.
The dull-eyed man sat there and watched the two of them walking into the kitchen. He did not stop them or talk to them.
The kitchen’s cleanliness was not nearly as unsanitary as Farbericotte imagined. Although the fishy smell still lingered in the air and the walls were covered with mold, at least there were no rats and cockroaches. When he walked into the kitchen, Zhang Heng was talking to the woman with a flat nose.
Immediately, Farbericotte stretched out two of his fingers and shouted, “Two! We are getting two sets!”
At that moment, he noticed that Zhang Heng, who was standing at the side, took the two chef knives that were hanging on the wall. He then hid them in his clothes and made a silent gesture to Fabericotte.
Fabericotte was shocked by it. And he immediately realized that Zhang Heng did not go into the kitchen to cancel his meal. He had gone in to steal the knives for self-protection. This was not the kind of behavior one should be endorsing. Fabericote hesitated for a while before deciding not to tell anyone about it. His heart was thumping in his chest, however. After that, he followed Zhang Heng out of the kitchen.
